muttley hates software: gimp by name, gimp by nature

From: Simon Wistow
Date: 11:28 on 03 Sep 2003
Subject: gimp by name, gimp by nature
It's not just the Gimp actually, I hate most imaging software but I
suspect that's because I don't know how to drive it. My be-smocked
designer friends seem to be able to whizz around Photoshop doing
anything they want using a combination of esoteric keyboard chords that
would make a Vi addict blanche and an Emacs apologist startbegging for
text pad.
But I digrees. I'm hear to complain about the Gimp.
Spencer Gimball's program seemed to mature rapidly. I had high hopes.
Ok, so the usability seems to be a bit of an issue but these things
often are and all they need to do is basically copy Photoshop. Photoshop
may not be the ideal interface but it's the one people are used to.
Right? Right?
So I'm using (umm, CHECKS) Gimp 1.3.3. I ahve a picture. I wnat to put
some text on it.
Actually what I want to do is have an image with a white layer on top
and then use the text as a mask to stamp through the white layer to show
the image underneath. But we'll get onto that.
So I hit the text tool. And a floating selection of text appears the
text being 'Gimp'. So I look around about how to change that. Can I find
it? Can I bollocks.
Yes, I can read the manual. But should I need to? I'm sure it shouldn't
be this hard. I'm sure it wasn't before.
Actually, reading the manual it says that
"The Text Tool dialog box will open and display a list of the installed
fonts. Type in the text you want in the text box in the bottom of the
dialog."
Ok, so text Dialog opens. Check. Is there a text entry box? No. I
presume the manual is out of date. *sigh*
Whilst I'm ranting why is it spewing out copious amounts of debug stuff
to my terminal? Do I care? No! Surely that should only be printed out if
I start with gimp --verbose or something. I honestly don't need to know
that
logical rect: 234 x 116 @ 0, 0
ink rect: 229 x 94 @ 0, 19
logical rect: 234 x 116 @ 0, 0
ink rect: 229 x 94 @ 0, 19
logical rect: 234 x 116 @ 0, 0
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
subsample_region: (500 x 374) -> (256 x 191)
gimp_container_remove_handler: id = 2012
gimp_container_remove_handler: id = 2013
gimp_container_remove_handler: id = 2014
(gimp:77692): Gimp-GUI-CRITICAL **: file colormap-dialog.c: line 301
(gimp_colormap_dialog_set_image): assertion `GIMP_IS_COLORMAP_DIALOG
(ipal)' failed
gimp_display_disconnect: gimage->ref_count before unrefing: 2
Galeon seems to do this as well. Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! If it's
really, really important that I see it then print it out but I don't
need to to know the internal ID of the container you're removing.
*sigh*